Supreme Court blasts states for failing to tackle female foeticide

The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought the response of all states on a submission made by two members of the court-appointed National Inspection and Monitoring Committee (NIMC) on female foeticide that says the menace has continued unabated due to non-cooperation of the states.

Expressing serious concern over the skewed sex ratio in the country, NIMC members Sabu Mathew George and Varsha Deshpande submitted a series of suggestions to a bench of justice Dipak Misra and justice NV Ramana to be considered by states.

The NIMC's suggestions include keeping a watch on doctors, hospitals and diagonistic centres to check sex determination tests. (Picture for representation only).

The court had earlier said that failure to keep a check on doctors was the chief reason why female foeticide continued rampantly despite a ban being imposed two decades ago.

“These are issues regarding implementation of the court order. The states may file their replies to the suggestions by March 15,” said the bench.

The court has asked about the status of implementation of the Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act of 1994, which banned sex determination of foetus and prescribed errant doctors be punished.

“On framing of charges against a doctor for violation, the license of the doctor should be suspended and on conviction he should be banned for five years from the profession,” said a suggestion.

“In spite of charges being framed, the cases are not reported by the appropriate authority to the State Medical Council (SMC). Even when a case is reported the SMC instead of suspending the license immediately proceeds with hearings, which are not in accordance with the provisions of the Act,” it said.

“The focus of the implementation of the Act has regrettably been confined to the technique of ultrasonography. With the amendment of the Act in 2002, newer medical techniques that may lead to discrimination against the girl child were also brought under the purview of the Act,” said the NIMC members.

The court was hearing a 2006 PIL filed by NGO Voluntary Health Association of Punjab.